The 3 AM Call
by FireCacodemon
Summary: When Angie gets a call at 3AM by Derek, she rushes over to his apartment. Set in the Pathogenic War AU. One-Shot!


Welcome to another Trauma Center story, based in the Pathogenic War AU.

Trauma Center belongs to Atlus.

* * *

The 3 AM Call

"Derek…? Do you know what time it is…?" Angie asked as she finally answered the call, she had seen that Derek had been calling her but the time was currently three am in the morning. Why was he up already? She waited for Derek to give her a response.

"I'm sorry to call you this late…but I don't know…if I can come into work today…" Derek's voice was shaky; his breathing was slightly irregular which made Angie grow worried. Did he just wake up from a nightmare and wanted someone to talk to?

"Derek? Are you okay?" She asked as she sat up in bed. Just hearing Derek this vulnerable wasn't something she liked. To her, Derek was a strong person who didn't often show his weaknesses to others. Angie suspected that the expectations placed on him after the war with GUILT was the result of this new behaviour...or maybe he was always like this and Angie just didn't see it. She felt herself growing more and more worried the longer she heard Derek's unsettling breathing while waiting for a response.

"Yeah…I'm fine…just a nightmare…" Derek admitted but Angie wasn't satisfied with that answer. Her instinct was screaming at her that there was something wrong and it was better if she was there by his side. Whenever she had a nightmare she found it easier being with someone and talking through it, rather than just bottling up everything for it to come out later.

"Derek, I'm coming over!" She hung up the phone and threw the covers off her. Her body more awake now as she sprinted from the bed to get ready. Whatever Derek had called her for…it didn't feel like a nightmare. Just what was Phronesis doing to his body? It may be an anti-GUILT but the fusion could be taking its toll on him more than they realised! How could she have been so stupid to think he was going to be okay?! Phronesis had already proved that it could temporarily take control over Derek's body…they should have just removed it when they had the chance!

"Angie?" Derek asked before he looked at the screen and noticed that Angie had hung up on him. He wasn't sure if he should be pleased or terrified that he had somehow brought Angie over to his home from a simple phone call. A sigh escaped from him as he looked down at himself. He was drenched with sweat from the night, his worries had gotten the better of him and turned what dream he had into a nightmare he only just escaped from. This whole year had been a nightmare. The war with GUILT, his involvement with the parasites, Phronesis that was inside of him and the fusion on top of that was just too much. The friendships he had formed in Caduceus had been broken so quickly and even now, was still recovering.

He left the bed and grabbed his dressing gown and threw it on. He moved downstairs and waited patiently for the doorbell. His unsettled mind throwing up memories he'd rather forget. His confession about his part with GUILT, just seeing the betrayal on their faces and how wary they were of him. How the medical board wanted to toss him out the hospital but couldn't. How easy it was for everyone to turn on you, to hate you because of something you did in the past. He just wanted to throw those memories away. Even if he did…he felt a tear roll down his face as the doorbell rang. Angie was here.

Angie waited patiently as Derek got himself comfortable on the sofa, she wasn't sure what to expect but she knew that pushing Derek wouldn't be the right idea. He already looked nervous as he shuffled awkwardly on the seat. She noticed how dreadful he looked. He was looking rather pale, somehow even more now than when he was infected with the seven strains of GUILT (if that was even possible). The empty teacups lay on the table before Derek breathed out a sigh.

"I'm…scared to go back to work," Derek admitted to her.

"You're scared…of work?" Angie asked and leaned back as Derek nodded.

"There was a tiny part of me that just wanted to run away when my past came out. The reason why I didn't was because of you and the threat of GUILT. I had a personal mission to fight GUILT…to fight what me research had become, to keep what friendship I had with you and Tyler. Running away…meant I lost the war against GUILT and the friendship with you and Tyler. When everyone turned on me…it felt like I was being kicked out of everything. Like a new child at school struggling to fit in with the rest of the class or trying to find a friendship group of their own. It…just made me realise that friendship is a rather fragile thing much like trust. Now…with me being…"

"Part Phronesis…" Angie said quietly.

"Yeah…that…I don't belong at Caduceus anymore. I'm sure that if I didn't have the Healing Touch…I wouldn't be working at Caduceus at all."

"They would have brought you in because you handled Kyriaki, Greg wanted to step in and take over but you handled it by yourself. It may have been your past that helped you but I don't think Greg could keep up with how quick that Kyriaki moved," Angie pointed out as she placed a hand on Derek's shoulder. He was tense making her wonder just how long had he been feeling like this? She should have known something was wrong…she was his friend! She should have noticed this yet she didn't…or was he just that good at hiding his feelings from everyone? She remembered her first impression of Derek which…wasn't very high at all. He slacked, was rather immature at times…but he changed when Kyriaki arrived. When he collapsed and said that they were going to get a strange patient…was that Phronesis awakening with its purpose finally arriving? Angie just didn't know or think about it anymore.

"They…did want me because of my skills, right? Not just because I treated GUILT?" Derek asked her.

"Derek, you're one of the best surgeons out there. You're calm when you're in theatre and even when a complication rises you can handle it. You have a steady hand and your sutures are amazing! I know this probably isn't a compliment but you can think like a pathogen, who knows what else you and Phronesis can do? Derek, I'm going to be by your side until the very end," she smiled as she shuffled closer to him and pulled him into a hug, wrapping her arms around him to comfort him.

"But…what if the fusion between myself and Phronesis…makes me a threat?"

"Derek, we will face the challenges together, just like how we faced GUILT together. For now, just rest, we both need it~"

"Can you…stay here until I fall asleep?"

"I won't leave your side. I'll be with you always."

* * *

Well, thanks for reading another story.


End file.
